How to Decorate a Room With Lots of Doorways

By Diane Steinbach Updated September 26, 2017

A room with many doorways is common in older homes where large rooms may be centrally located among many bedrooms and living spaces. Placing bulky furnishings between doorways is a common mistake that spreads your conversation and social areas too far throughout the room. Although it may seem your only option is to close off a few doors and place furniture against the walls, when you bring the focus away from the walls and into the cozy center of the room you avoid a cluttered look and create a more open and comfortable space for your friends and family.

A room with several doorways can challenge any home decorator.

Step 1

Paint the walls a neutral earth tone color and the doorways and doors a creamy white to visually open the space and make the room appear light and bright.

Step 2

Create a sitting area in the center of the room by placing a large area [rug](https://society6com/rugs?utm_source=SFGHG&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=8775) to define the new sitting space.

Step 3

Choose a focal point in the room, such as a nice window, a fireplace or where you plan on placing the television.

Step 4

Place a medium sized sofa in the space, allowing for ample space to walk around the sofa to exit or enter the room. The sofa should face the focal point.

Step 5

Situate a narrow table or bookshelf unit behind the sofa to hide the back of the sofa and to further define the space.

Step 6

Accent the space between two doors with a built-in bookshelf unit. Paint it white to match the wood trim in a small room to help the unit blend in to the rest of the room. Accessorize the shelves sparsely to add interest without clutter.

Step 7

Leave a clear path to the most used doorways and to direct traffic flow.

Step 8

Create drama by painting one wall with two doorways an accent color that is one or two shades darker than the rest of the room.

Step 9

Hang small rustic or framed artwork on a narrow space between two doors to add interest to the space.

Things You Will Need

Paint

Rollers and brushes

Area rug

Sofa

Narrow table

Bookshelf unit

Built in bookshelves

Accent paint color

Small artwork

Accessories

Flat screen television

Wall mount hardware

Tips

Hang a flat screen television on a wall space to take advantage of space between doorways without adding bulk to the room.

Remove doors from rooms that do not need to be closed off daily. This eliminates bulk and opens the space visually.

Use colored glassware accessories in the room to keep the space feeling airy and light.

Warning

Don't over-stuff the room. Use smaller furniture such as a love seat and a small side chair instead of large, over-sized couches and recliners.